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Ministry denies human infection cover-up
(皇冠体育app Daily)
Updated: 2005-11-26 05:29
Allegations that bird flu has killed more people in 皇冠体育app than officially
reported were nothing but rumours, the Ministry of Health said on Friday.
A Japanese virologist, identified as Masato Tashiro by the London-based New
Scientist, was quoted as saying on the magazine's website on Thursday that "300
people have died of H5N1 bird flu in 皇冠体育app."
The website report said the virologist was recently in Hunan Province, site
of a recent outbreak, where he worked with Chinese scientists on behalf of the
World Health Organization (WHO).
But the ministry said what the virologist claimed in the report was "sheer
rumour."
"The Ministry of Health has checked with the WHO and verified that there was
not a single Japanese virologist among the specialists sent by the WHO to
investigate the bird flu epidemic in Hunan," a ministry spokesman said.
The Japanese virologist's allegation that several hundred Chinese people died
of bird flu was not based on facts, the ministry said in a statement made
available to 皇冠体育app Daily Friday night.
A WHO spokesperson said at a press conference in Geneva that 皇冠体育app and the
organization have co-operated well on bird flu, and 皇冠体育app has not concealed any
human infections, said the statement.
So far, the mainland has confirmed three cases of human infection of H5N1
bird flu virus, the statement said.
In addition to releasing the information to the public, the ministry has
reported the confirmed cases to the WHO and also informed Hong Kong and Macao
special administrative regions and neighbouring countries, the ministry
spokesman said.
He said health authorities have put people who had close contact with
diseased or dead poultry under strict medical observation, and strengthened
monitoring, reporting and treatment of fever and respiratory disease cases, so
that any abnormal situation will be addressed promptly.
In a related development, 41 people, who had close contact with the latest
human victim a 35-year-old woman farmer surnamed Xu in Anhui Province have shown
no abnormal signs, and 13 of them, including Xu's family, have been released
from medical observation, Xinhua said on Friday.
Xu developed fever and pneumonia-like symptoms on November 11 after contact
with sick and dead poultry. She died on November 22. Another two confirmed human
cases and one suspected case of H5N1 bird flu were reported on November 16.
(皇冠体育app Daily 11/26/2005 page1)
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